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So I watched "Gold Diggers of 1933" and loved it. Especially that part w the light-up violins. What BB should i see next?
I've seen a bunch of these since then (although not the Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland ones) "42nd Street" and "Footlight Parade" are the 2 that are closest to GDo33 - "42nd Street" is very similar but somewhat grittier and perhaps more archetypally pre-code-ish. The thing that stands out most in it to me is Warner Baxter's performance as the fucked-up theater director, but all of the cast are good, except for Ruby Keeler, and she is charming in her own way. Ginger Rogers has a better role than in Gold Diggers of 1933. The 3 numbers - "Shuffle off to Buffalo", "Young and Healthy" and "42nd Street" itself are all knockouts, easily as good as the numbers in "Gold Diggers of 1933". "Footlight Parade" I like a little less than the others, although there's not much in it. James Cagney in this film is amazing, absolutely blazing, radiant star quality, but he does tend to dominate the film a bit. The story is a bit stronger, maybe. Again there are 3 big numbers - "By a Waterfall" is incredible, one of BB's best, the other 2 I find a little weaker - "Honeymoon Hotel" is cute but seems to me to be too similar in tone, and a bit weaker than "Pettin' in the Park" from GD33. "Shanghai Lil" is weird - among the patrons of the bar it's set in are a few mixed-race couples (in 1933!) but also a bunch of caucasian performers are made up in a stereotypical asian manner, as is Ruby Keeler. Kind of confounding, but interesting, given when it was made. There is a long section with a bunch of sailors marching in formation, which drags a bit I think.
"Dames" from 1934 as a film is pretty dissapointing - the humour seems forced and hokey, and there is too much Hugh Herbert, he is really annoying, kind of hard to see what the appeal of the guy was. Joan Blondell is great in it though, the film is much better when she's onscreen (you could say this about most filsm though - "more Joan Blondell" = "a better film"). What makes it worth sitting through are 2 of the numbers - "Dames" and "I Only Have Eyes for You", these both have the hard black/white visuals like in "Shadow Waltz" and are a complete trip. "Dames" has this thing where the PoV continually shifts back and forth between closeups of the chorines and wider group shots in a really disorientating manner, it's my favourite out of all his routines.
"Gold Diggers of 1935" is p weak too I think, although the opening scenes are good. There is no Joan Blondell in it, or Ruby Keeler. Even though Ruby couldn't act or sing for shit, she has something, IDK what, that is way more appealing to me than Gloria Stuart, who plays the Ruby-ish role. Adolphe Menjou, Hugh Herbert and Alice Brady are all really irritating and are in a lot of the film. The big number, "Lullaby of Broadway" is terrific, one of Berkeley's best.
Of the pre "42nd Street" films I have seen "Whoopee!", "Palmy Days" and "Roman Scandals", all featuring Eddie Cantor. I think there are 2 more. "Palmy Days" is quite charming, "Roman Scandals" is a mess, "Whoopee!" is...dated, especially in it's racial attitudes. This is a pity because in some respects it is quite interesting, not least because it's a rare completely-surviving 2-strip technicolor musical.
"The Gang's all Here", as Dan P says is garish, lurid technicolor fun. The closing "Journey to a Star" medley number is insane, really psychedelic. That said, all of the Fox musicals w some combo of Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda and Don Ameche are like that and I like "That Night in Rio" loads better.
If you can find a copy for cheap, "Colleen", the last Powell/Keeler musical is surprisingly good, I picked it up off Warner Archive more out of duty/completism than anything else, and really enjoyed it.
a bit disjointed, it's quite late here....
― lycanthrope electrif (Pashmina), Friday, 18 February 2011 00:03 (thirteen years ago) link
Rewatched 42nd Street for the first time in ages last night, the street scene finale is so good. LOL at Dick Powell being the "juvenile lead" at 29. Great character actors in this: Una Merkel, Ned Sparks (it dawned on me that the voice of Squidward in Spongebob Squarepants is likely based on Sparks, and probably the Edgar character in Bullwinkle is, too: "Now there's something you don't see every day, Chauncey..."
And Toby Wing, the uncredited blonde in the "Young and Healthy" number, was amazing looking. She was 17 when this was filmed.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CVtHo93AEHM/TR3yiN4lnCI/AAAAAAAADDM/pKjTD7qSZBw/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2010-12-30%2Bat%2B7.37.08%2BPM.png
Also saw Palmy Days for the first time. The whole "Glorifying the American Doughnut" scene, fabulous!
OMG WAU @ "would you like a little rose on top"/"no, make it a PANSY" WTF WTF WTF)
!!!!!
― Hodge Podge Bodge, Peo-PLE! (Dan Peterson), Monday, 28 February 2011 18:52 (thirteen years ago) link
one year passes...
I'm not that fond of Footlight Parade as a whole, but By a Waterfall might be my favorite of these numbers.
I just saw The Gang's All Here too-I felt rather drained by the end. It seemed quite
shout-y. I think they had the volume up too loud.
A Criterion edition would be great-the DVD that came out a few years ago supposedly has a horrible transfer.
― MrDasher, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 16:09 (twelve years ago) link
one year passes...
two years pass...